From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Allegiance \Al*le"giance\, n. [OE. alegeaunce; pref. a- + OF.
lige, liege. The meaning was influenced by L. ligare to bind,
and even by lex, legis, law. See {Liege}, {Ligeance}.]
1. The tie or obligation, implied or expressed, which a
subject owes to his sovereign or government; the duty of
fidelity to one's king, government, or state.
[1913 Webster]
2. Devotion; loyalty; as, allegiance to science.
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Syn: Loyalty; fealty.
Usage: {Allegiance}, {Loyalty}. These words agree in
expressing the general idea of fidelity and attachment
to the "powers that be." Allegiance is an obligation
to a ruling power. Loyalty is a feeling or sentiment
towards such power. Allegiance may exist under any
form of government, and, in a republic, we generally
speak of allegiance to the government, to the state,
etc. In well conducted monarchies, loyalty is a
warm-hearted feeling of fidelity and obedience to the
sovereign. It is personal in its nature; and hence we
speak of the loyalty of a wife to her husband, not of
her allegiance. In cases where we personify, loyalty
is more commonly the word used; as, loyalty to the
constitution; loyalty to the cause of virtue; loyalty
to truth and religion, etc.
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Hear me, recreant, on thine allegiance hear me!
--Shak.
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So spake the Seraph Abdiel, faithful found, . .
.
Unshaken, unseduced, unterrified,
His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal.
--Milton.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
allegiance
n 1: the act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally)
to a course of action; "his long commitment to public
service"; "they felt no loyalty to a losing team" [syn:
{commitment}, {allegiance}, {loyalty}, {dedication}]
2: the loyalty that citizens owe to their country (or subjects
to their sovereign) [syn: {allegiance}, {fealty}]
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